Means for and process of making printing-surfaces by photography.



' No. 632,437. Patented Sept. 5, I899. J. T. BENTLEY.

MEANS FOR AND PROCESS OF MAKING PRINTING SURFACES BY PHOTOGRAPHY.

(Applicatiun filed Oct. 1, 1898.; (No Model.) 2 Sheet sSheet I.

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No. 632,437. Patented Sept. 5, I899.

J. T. BENTLEY.

MEANS FOR AND PROCESS OF MAKING PRINTING SURFACES BY PHOTOGRAPHY.

(Application filed Oct 1, 1898.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.ionN 'r. BENTLEY, or nneLnWooD, NEW JERSEY.

MEANS For AND PROCESS a MAKING PRINTING-SURFACES BY PHOTOGRAPHY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 632,437, datedSeptember 5, 1899.

Application filed October 1, 1898. Berial No. 692,420. (No model.)

To all whom it 'nw/y concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN T. BENTLEY, a subject of the Queen of GreatBritain, residingin Englewood, in the county of Bergen and State of NewJersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means forand Art of Making Printing Surfaces, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to the art of printin g, and more particularlyrelates to the production of printing-surfaces by photography; and itcomprises in a general Way the reproduction by the action of light ofindependent photographable originals comprising models interchangeablewith each other and each formed free of a strip or bar and comprising,for instance, independent surfaces bearing characters, letters, figures,&c., of an alphabet, and which can be assembled to form various subjectsor letter-press matter to be reproduced and when assembled will comprisea word or any amount of mattersuch as a number of lines, of a column, ora page, or a plurality thereof, either of book or newspaper size.

An object of the invention is to furnish an improvement in the art oftypographic composition whereby printing surfaces or plates adapted foruse in the making of newspapers, books, and the like are quickly andinexpensively produced by a simple and direct operation or process andwithout the employment of any print-imparting devices or type plates orsurfaces are produced with their printing-faces in relief or inintaglio, or neither in relief norin intaglio, as ordinarily understood.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved originals fromwhich reproductions or printing-surfaces are directly obtained byphotography or analogous means, and which reproductions in one formthereof are directly used as intaglio printing-surfaces or utilized asan intermediate instrumentality to produce printing-surfaces in re liefor otherwise and in another form thereof are directly used asprinting-surfaces in relief or otherwise to impart impressions orutilized as an intermediate instrumentality to produce independentprintingsurfaces in intaglio.

lief.

such intaglio surface.

A further object of the invention is to provide a system of independentand interchangeable or readily-separable photographable originals eachformed free of a strip or barand which are readily assembled toCOlllprise a word or any amount of mattersuch as a number of lines, acolumn, or a page, or a plurality thereof, either of book or newspapersize-and also readily assembled to produce different subjects matter,and from which originals when once assembled various sizes and forms ofmatter are obtained by a direct process, and which originals are assembled in a readable manner, thereby obviating the necessity of havinga proof in order to detect errors.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification,Figure 1 represents a view of a few of the'originals formedsubstantially in the manner hereinafter set forth. Fig. 2 representssuch originals properly assembled to form the subject-matter to bereproduced to form a printing-s11 rface. Fig. 3 represents a negative ofthe matter shown in Fig. 2, such matter being somewhat reduced, andwhich negative is suitably treated so that-it may be used as an intaglioprinting-surface, or it may be utilized as an intermediateinstrumentality to produce a printing-surface in relief or otherwise.Fig. 4 represents in perspective a printingsurface or plate secured bythe utilization of such negative as an intermediate instrumentality, theprinting-faces thereof being in retaken from such printing plate orsurface. Fig. 6 represents a few of the originals formed and assembledin a different manner from that shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 7represents a reproduction thereof adapted to be used as api'intingsurface, such reproduction being somewhat reduced. Fig. 8represents in perspective an intaglio printing-surface produced by theutilization of such reproduction as an intermediate instr u mentality.Fig. 9 represents a print or impression taken from Fig. 10 represents inperspective another form of this original, the characters orcharacter-fields thereof being represented as structurally formed or inre-. lief. Fig. 11 represents an originalwith the field surrounding theOlIEH'RClZGY-IlGldSllllO--- Fig. 5 represents a print or impressionlief. Fig. 12 represents in perspective an original having itscharacter-field provided with reinforced or structurally-formed bordersor boundaries, and Fig. 13 represents the original having itsmodel-field provided with extensions.

Similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts in thedifferent figures of the drawings.

Heretofore in order to produce practicable printing-surfaces,andespeciallyprinting-surfaces capable of furnishing columns or pages ofprinting matter at one operation, it has been necessary to use type orprinting devices in some form thereof in the first instance directly toimpart impressions, since type is not photographable, or to form amatrix of which suitable stereotypes or electrotypes were made for alike purpose. This type, which is formed of metal, is not only expensiveto manufacture, but in establishments doing considerable business it isnecessaryto have many fonts of the same corresponding with the differentsizes of the print desired, as nonpareil, brevier, bourgeois, longprimer, pica, 820., thus requiring an outlay of many thousands ofdollars, and, since the life of type is comparatively short, in order toproduce good work frequent renewals or resupplies are necessary. Inaddition to this it is also necessary to have many expensive andelaborate appurtenances in order to conveniently use such type.Moreover, in the use of such type it is necessary to set the same upbackward or in reverse manner, so that a proof is required to enable theerrors to be readily perceived. Furthermore, when a reproduction isdesired 011 a smaller scale it is the necessary practice to set up thetype and secure an impression therefrom, or from a matrix of thetype-form a stereotype or electrotype is made, from which an impressionis obtained. In either case this impression produced from type andhaving imparted to it all the defects and imperfections which may, owingto wear and other causes, be in the type-faces, is placed before thecamera and constitutes the original for the purposes ofphotoreproduction. This, it will be seen, since it is necessary toproduce an original each time from type, which itself must be firstproduced or set up in order to enable such original to be reproduced ona different or a smaller scale, is not only an indirect manner ofsecuring such reproduction, but is expensive and laborious to carry out.Moreover, since type from which the impression is made is usually ofcomparatively small size and imperfect in its formation, considerabletouching up during the process of reproduction by an engraver, ofteninvolving weeks of work, is necessary to produce reasonably good work.

The object, thcrefore,of the presentiuvention is to produce aprinting-surface--such,

- for instance, as a printing-plate by a direct process and without theuse of type during the operation of producing such surface, and,furthermore, to produce such surface from an original comprisingindependent and interchangeable photographable elements each formed freeof a strip or bar and which are not subject to wear during theproductionof such surface and from which same original any desired sizeof reproduction may be secured, corresponding, for instance, withnonpareil, brevier, bourgeois, long primer, or pica and larger,and whichoriginal, moreover, may be variously assembled to form any desiredsubject-matter to be reproduced and also so assembled that the wholewill form a word or any desired amount of matter-such as a number oflines, a column, or a page, or a plurality thereof, either of book ornewspaper sizeand can also be assembled in a readable manner, wherebyerrors may be readily detected without the neccssityof having a prooffor this purpose.

The invention therefore comprises in a general way the production of aprinting-surface containing letter-press or analogous matter, on somesuitable material, directly from original matter comprising independentand separable elements or models each having structures formed free of astrip or bar and without the use of type at any time during theproduction of such hinting-surface.

The invention also comprises the production of a printing-surfaceadapted to impart impressionsfrom a series of independent andinterchangeable or separable originals each of which comprises aneleinentof the subjectmatter to be reproduced and is formed free of astrip or bar and whichoriginals are variously assembled to producedilferentsubjectsmatter and are also, if desired, shiftablc relativelyto each other.

I am aware that in a few instances by photography letter-press matterhas been directly reproduced; but in such instances the matter to bereproduced is not only formed on strips or bars, but is withoutstructure free of such strips or bars, and, moreover, can only bephotographed one line at a time, so that for these, as well as for manyother reasons, this mode of reproduction is impracticable and incapableof usein a commercial way. I am also aware that by photographyletter-press matter has been reproduced; but in such instances thematter to bereproduced is not only obtainable by the use of type, whichup to the present in vention has been the only commercially-Snccessfulmode, but such matter is printed or made on a continuous sheet or card,forming a continuous word, phrase, or sentence, the elements or letterscomposing such phrase or sentence not being detachable from each otheror capable of mutual independent adjustment or interchangeability, so asto permit a reassemblage thereof to form a different subject-matter. Forin stance, while a paperbearing the word lVitnesses thereon may havebeen photographed side by side with another sheet bearing the wordsInventor and assignor it has been impracticable to detach or separateeach lotter or a plu ality thereof of either word, so as to produce bythe use of the same letters diiferentl y assembled anothersubject-matter or to even separate the words of the phrase or sentenceto likewise form a different subjcct-matter. Furthermore, it is alsoimpossible to correct any error in spelling in such phrases except byerasure, whereas in the present improvement this is readily obtained bythe mere removal of one letter or word and the substitution of anotherletter or Word therefor. Therefore thisinventiou comprises the use ofindependent, separable, and interchangeable photographable originalseach formed free of a strip or bar and comprehending models which willordinarily comprise in dependent surfaces bearing characters, letters,figures, symbols, or analogous matter adapted to be assembled in anydesired manner to form the matter-such, for instance, the letter-pressmatter-to be directly reproduced, and which models will consist of aletter or word and each of which is shiftable relatively to each otherand also separable or removableindependently of each other, if desired.Each of these models when formed as independent characters can beconstructed independently of a supporting surface or field and supportedin some suitable manner for reproduction; but in the form thereof hereinshown and described, and which may be its preferred form, if desired,each of these models 2comprises a support or supporting-surface 3,having thereon the desired character, letter, figure, or analogoussymbol constituting one of the elements of the subject-matter orletter-press matter to be reproduced, the elements shown herein beingrepresented as letters of the English alphabet. These letters,characters, or figures in this form thereof are stamped, impressed,embossed, or otherwise secured to or formed on or with the supports orsupporting-surfaces, so that when so formed each model will comprise aplurality of fields, one constituting the support or supporting field orsurface 3 and the other the character or letter or character-field 4,the whole forming what is herein designated for the present purpose as amodel-field I desire to state that each supporting surface or field 3when this form of model is used may carry a plurality of charactersas,for instance, a letter and a punctuation-marksuch, for instance, as acom maor sufficient characters to constitute a word-such, for instance,as a commonly-used word, such as the conjunctions andprepositions-whereby such words are separable or interchangeable and canbe disposed at various parts of a sentence during the formation thereof.

hen the models comprise supporting-surfaces, such surfaces are formed ofany desired size adapted to support the preferred size of characterfields, which are preferably made of a relatively large size and areconstructed of some suitable material bearing one or more characters oranalogous symhole, as deemed desirable, and are usually in the nature ofcards. By the term cards, however, as used herein is not necessarilymeant a card of pasteboard, since such cards may be made of anymaterial-such as celluloid, metal, or otherwise, and of any suit ableconstruction and size-the term card being used for the present purposessimply to designate a surface of that general form or character.

It is to be understood that any instrumentality or means may be used tosupport the models in position, and, if desired, such mod els may beformed or set up by some suitable mechanism or automatic means in asimilar manner, if desired, to that in which type are formed or set up,or such models may be set up by the use of a composing-stick adapted forthe purpose, from which they can be transferred to a suitable supportingmeans, or which stick can itself be suitably supported in position topermit the matter carried thereby to be reproduced.

Then the models are made with a supporting surface or field, suchsupporting surface or field portion may form or have adjacent theretowhat are herein termed extensions 6, one, as (5, adapted to underlap thesupporting surface or field of an adjacent model, and one, 6", adaptedto underlap an adjacent line of assembled models, whereby the models areadapted for adjustment or shiftable movement relatively to each other inthe direction of the assembled line and also transversely of theline, sothat such models when assembled will have in the case of any particularcharacter a variable adjustment relatively to the other characters,thereby to give such a matter a particular emphasis, if desired,substantially as set forth in my contemporaneously pending and allowedapplication for Letters Patent of the United States, Serial No. 684,424,filed June 2 1-, 1898.

The character-fields of the models in some forms have structuralformation or may when disposed on a supporting-surface have surfaceextension only, and therefore within the scope of my present inventionis considered any form of photographable model, either formed or havingstructure free of a strip or bar and which can be assembled in positionin the manner hereinbefore set forth to be photographed, and, if founddesirable, the models can be made in a similar manner to those shown anddescribed in my various contemporaneously-pending applications forLetters Patent of the United States-as, for instance, application,Serial No. 668,728, filed February 1, 1,898, or application, Serial No.692,158, filed September 29, 1898, the first application being for aprocess of producing printing-surfaces in which a symbol having an edgeor boundary of different efficiency from the body of such symbolconstitutes the original to be reproduced, and the second applicationbeing for a process of producing printing-surfaces in which a symbolconstituting the original to be reproduced has the inner edge orboundary of its surrounding field forming the outline of the symbol of adifferent efficiency from the body of the symbol and from thesurrounding field. The model-field in one form thereof (see Fig. 1) willhave the supporting-surface white or of one color or shade, while thecharacter t thereof will be black or of another color or shade, wherebythe model will be of different efficiencies, one part of lower or higherphotographic efficiency than another part thereof, and will be in thenature of a positive original, or (see Fig. 6) the character l will bewhite or of one color or shade, while the supporting-s11rface 3 will .beblack or of another color or shade, and therefore in the nature of anegative original. In practice, however, good results are obtained byforming the character either black or white, while the supporting-surface maybe correspondingly white or black. When the characteror characterfield 4 is black or of a shade or color having, asordinarily understood, less photographic efficiency or aetinic actionthan the supporting or surrounding field, a negative 7 is formed, inwhich the corresponding character-field portion i will be relativelytransparent or clear and unhardened, so that such field portion 4 isremovable to permit an i11- taglio printing-surface to be formed by asimilar treatment, if desired, to that hereinafter set forth inconnection with the formation of an intaglio plate when a negative isutilized as an intermediate instrumentality, or by means of suchnegative a printing-surface in relief or otherwise is obtainable 011metal or other suitable material, and when in relief it will be producedsubstantially in the manner hereinafter set forth. By the use of a modelin which the character or characterfield & is white or of a color orshade having, as ordinarily understood,higher photographic efiiciency oractinic action than the surrounding or supporting field 3 a negativeorprinting surface is obtained in which the corresponding field portion4 will be relatively dark or opaque and relatively hard, so that it canbe used with or without furthertreatment as an ink-printing surface orcan be used as a light-printing medium or surface to form an intaglioprinting-surface on metalor other suitable material, substantially inthe manner hereinafter set forth.

It is to be understood that in the production of the negative either asan ink-printing surface or as a light-printing surfaceand by the termlight-printing surface is meant a surface or medium which will permitthe passage therethrough of the rays of light such negative willcomprise some suitable film or a support or backing carrying somesuitable film or sensitized surface adapted for the purpose. Forinstance, such backing can comprise glass or an analogous light-transmit-ting material, or when such negative is to be directly treated toconstitute a printingsurface it can consist of metal, such as aluminium,zinc, or other material. hen, however, the negative is to be used as anintermediate instrunientality to produce a printing-surface it will beunderstood of course that it comprises some suitable film or backingwhich will permit the passage of the light therethrough, and when suchnegative is utilized in this manner for the purpose of forming thereby aprinting-surface such surface will be also formed of anysuitablematerialmetal or otherwise-much, for instance, when of metal, asaluminium, copper, or zinc.

In carrying out this improved process the independent models areassembled (see Figs. 2 and 6) either by hand or mechanical means intogroups, columns, or pages, as may be desired, corresponding inorganization with the required arrangement of the matter on theprinting-plate, and. the assembled group or groups of independentphotographable models are then reproduced either to form a printingsurface or plate or to form a reproduction or negative which can beutilized as an intermediate instrumentality to form a printing surfaceor plate. hen the models are formed with a supporting-surface, I canemploy the process and apparatus set forth in my prior allowedapplication hereinbefore referred to for Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, Serial No. (384,424, filed June 21-, 1898, by means of whichthese photographable models are conveniently supported in position forreproduction. In some instances, however, if desired, the model-fieldscan be supported in a horizontal plane with the reproduction apparatusor camera above them, thereby to avoid shadow around such model-fieldsshould they be of a formation which would tend to create shadow. Whenthe models are formed with white or analogous characterfields and ofblack or analogous supportirig-surfaces, the overlapping of the cardsfor the purpose of avoiding shadow is not necessary in all cases andthey can therefore be disposed edge to edge (see Fig. 6) or in any othersuitable way, if desired.

In the formation of a printing-plate in relief positive originals ormodels,preferably having a black or analogous character-surface i with awhite or analogous supporting-surfaee 3, are preferably employed,whereby in the reproduction thereofa-s, for instance, by photography, anegative 7 (see Fig. 3) is obtained, having the correspondingcharacter-surface l relatively transparent or clear and thecorresponding supporting or surrounding surface 3 relatively opaque.This negative,

which is usually first stripped from its plate or support when formed inthis manner and reversed, is then placed in juxtaposition to asurfacesuch, for instance, as a metal surface-having thereon a film oremulsion forming a sensitized surface, so thatlight passing through suchtransparent portion t of the negative acts to harden the correspondingpart of the plate-surface-whereupon the same is treated in the usualmanner to form a printing-surface. This is accomplished when a metalprinting-surface is desired (although it is to be understood that othersurfaces or positives can be obtained by the use of these improvedmodels) by suitably protecting in the usual or any desired manner therelatively-hardened part of such sensitized metal surface and removingor washing away the unprotected portion thereof, after which the plateis subjected to a suitable mordant bath to permit the metal surfacearound the reproduced original to be bitten away and thereby leave thereproduced matter in relief, after which the protected portion of thesensitized surface is removed and so leaves the plate 8, Fig. 4, withits metal printing-faces 9 in relief and in condition to be inked forthe purpose of imparting impressions.

\Vhen it is desired to form a printing surface or plate without theprinting-faces there of in relief, this is accomplished without thenecessity of treating the plate to an etching process by so treatingtheplate that one part thereof will retain the printing-ink with whichthe impressions are to be imparted. This negative 7 can also itself betreated as hereinbefore set forth to form an intaglio surface,especially when the negative comprises a sensitized metal surface, sincethe unhardened character-field 4: can be washed away and so leave thisportion of the plate bared to be treated by a suitable mordant whichwill bite into the plate and form the intaglio design in a similarmanner to that about to be set forth.

In the formation of a negative adapted for use as an ink-printingsurface or to form an intaglio printingsurface the models, Fig. 6, arein this instance in the nature of negative originals, each preferablyhaving its character-field 4 white or of analogous efliciency, while itssupporting or field surface 3 is black or of an analogous etliciency, sothat when assembled and reproducedas, for instance, by photography-thenegative 7, Fig.7,which in this instance has the reproduced originalsthereof positive in form or character and which consists of any suitablesupport, such as metal having a sensitized surface, will have thecorresponding character portions at thereof relatively opaque andhardened, while the corresponding field portions will be relativelylight or transparent and unhardened, so that when the negative is to beused as an inkprinting surface such field portions are readily washedaway or removed in any suitable manner to leave the hardenedcharactenfields L in relief, Fig. 7, and in condition to be printed fromor, if desired or necessary, to be suitably treated to increase theireilicieney as an ink-printin g surface, or the plate can be suitablytreated in the desired m anner,where* by one part thereof will retainthe printingink, thereby to impart impressions. \Vhen this negative 7,however, is to be used to produce an intaglio printing-surface on metalor other suitable material, it usually comprises a sensitized mediumadapted to permit the passage of the light and is placed injuxtaposition, with its outer field preferably unremoved, to a metal orother surface having a sensitized surface or emulsion, whereupon thelight transmitted through the relatively transparent part or thesurrounding field of such negative hardens the corresponding surroundingiield of the sensitized surface of the metal plate and leaves thecharacter-field thereof relatively unhardened, so that it is readilyremoved or washed away to permit further treatment of the plate, therebyleaving this portion of the plate bare, which after suitably protectingthe relatively-hardened surrounding film is treated in some suitablemanner-as, for instance, by subjecting it to a mordant batik-thereby tobite away the character portion of the metal surface. The surroundingrelatively hardened film will then be removed in any suitable manner,leaving an incised or intaglio printing-plate 10 adapted to be printedfrom.

hen the printing-surfaces are formed on metal or like material-as, forinstance, aluminium, zinc, or copperwhether it be the original negativehaving the reproduced characters thereof negative or positivein form orthe resultant plates in relief or in intaglio or otherwise they areblocked up in the usual manner for the purpose of placing them in thepress to impart impressions.

From the foregoing it will be seen that by means of this improvedprocess a printing surface or plat-e having matter thereon in relief orin intaglio or adapted to impart impressions is obtained in a directmanner from the original matter without the use in the operation-oftype, thereby doing away with the enormous cost of such type, as thecost of this original is inconsiderable as compared with the cost oftype, and, unlike type, will not appreciably wear out under constantusage, and therefore does not have to be re newed. Moreover, from thisone original any desired size of reproduction is obtainable without thenecessity, as heretofore, of having different sizes of type anddifferent sizes of type impressions; and also from this one originalvarious forms of reproduced matter may ber eadily obtained as, forinstance, by the use of an adjustment-mirror in the camera or otherreproducing instrumentality.

By the term symbols as used herein and in the claims it is intended toinclude characters, letters, iigurcsflmages,tlesigi]s,marks, oranalogous matter which can be assembled in the manner specified forreproduction.

In conclusion, it will be seen that the pres ent invention contemplatesthe use of inde pendent models such, for instance, assupporting-surfaces bearing characters, letters,

ligures, symbols, and the like-and since the models are independent oneof another, they are therefore interchangeable with one another, so thatone can be removed and set aside while another can be disposed in placethereof, while at the same time one or more can be shifted withoutshifting the companion models.

I claim as my invention 1. The method of forming a printing-surface,which consists in assembling a plurality of interchangeablephotographable models comprising independent surfaces bearing symbolsand adapted to be organized to form various subjects-matter and eachformed free of a strip or bar, and then making therefrom aprinting-sinface.

2. The method of forming a printing-surface, which consists inassembling a plurality of interchangeable models comprising independentsurfaces bearing symbols and adapted to be organized to form varioussubjectsmatter and each formed free of a strip or bar; then making areproduction thereof by the action of light; and then utilizing suchreproduction to make a printing-surface adapted to impart impressions.

3. The method of forming printing-surfaces,which consists in assemblingaplurality of interchangeable photographable models comprisingindependent surfaces bearing symbols and adapted to be organized to formvarious subjects matter and each having structure free of a strip orbar, and then making by photography a reproduction thereof adapted to betreated to impart impressions or to be utilized as an intermediateinstrumentality to produce a printing surface or plate. V

i. The method of making a printing-surface, which consists in assemblinga plurality of interchangeable and shiftable photographable modelscomprising independent surfaces bearing symbols and each formed free ofa strip or bar and which when assembled form the matter to be reproducedand then directly reproducing the same to form a printing-stir; face.

5. The method of making a printing-surface, which consists in assemblinga plurality of interchangeable and vertically and horizontallyadjustable photographable models comprising independent surfaces bearingsymbols and adapted to be organized to form various subjects-matter andeach formed free of a strip or bar and which when assembled form thematter to be reproduced; then making a reproduction thereof by theaction of light; and then utilizing such reproduction to form aprinting-surface adapted to impart impressions.

U. The method of forming a printing-surface, which consists inassembling a plurality of shiftable models comprising independentsurfaces bearing symbols and adapted to be organized to form varioussubjects-matter and each formed free of a strip or bar, and

then making a reproduction thereof by the action of light.

7. The method of making a printing-surface, which consists in assemblingin position a plurality of photographable models comprising indepcndentsurfaces bearing symbols and adapted to be organized to form varioussubjects-matter and each formed free of a strip or bar and comprisingone or more symbols, one model being readily separable from another; andthen making a reproduction thereof by photography.

8. The method of forming a printing-surface, which consists inassembling a plurality of independent photographable models eachcomprising a card having letterpress-forming elements thereon, saidcards being interchangeable so that they can be organized to have suchletterpress-forming elements constitute any desired subject-matter; andthen making by photography a reproduction of such elements.

9. The method of making a printing-surface,which consists in assemblingletterpress matter in position to be reproduced on saidprinting-surface,such letterpress matter comprising a plurality ofindependent and separable photographable elements each formed free of astrip or bar; then directly reproducing such elements by photography toform a reproduction; and then utilizing such reproduction as anintermediate instrnmentality to form a printing-surface.

10. The method of forming a printing-plate, which consists in assemblinga plurality of photographable models, each comprising an independentcard having one or more symbols thereon, said cards beinginterchangeable so that they may be organized to form a line, column, orpage of matter, or a plurality thereof, and to have the symbols form anydesired subject-matter corresponding with the desired printing-surface;and then making by photography a reproduction of such symbols andutilizing such reproduction to produce a printing-plate adapted toimpart impressions.

11. The process of forming a printing-surface, which consists inassembling a plurality of independent and interchangeable photographablemodel-fields, each formed free of a strip or bar, and each comprising acharacter and a supporting surface one of different photographicefficiency from the other; then photographing the same to produce anegative having one part thereof of a different ciliciency from another.

12. The method of forming a printing-surface, which consists inassembling in position a plurality of independent and interchangeablemodels, each formed free of a strip or bar and each comprising acharacter-field and a supporting-field, one of relatively lowphotographic eiiliciency and the other of relatively high photographiceflicicncy; then obtaining a reproduction thereof by the action oflight; and then utilizing such reproduction to form the action of lighta reproduction thereof relatively transparent or clear in that partthereof corresponding with the character-field and relatively opaque inthat part thereof corresponding with the supporting-field.

14-. The art of forming a metal printingplate, which consists inassembling a plurality of interchangeable or separable models comprisingindependent surfaces bearing symbols and each formed free of a strip orbar and constituting the matter to be reproduced; and then directlyreproducing such matter on a sensitized metal surface and treatin g thesame to adapt it to impart impressions.

15. The art of forming a metal printingplate, which consists inassembling in position a plurality of interchangeable or separablemodels comprising independent surfaces bearing symbols and each formedfree of a strip or bar and constituting the matter to be reproduced;then making a negative thereof by photography; then utilizing suchnegative to reproduce such matter by the action of light on a sensitizedmetal plate; and then treating such plate to form a printingsurface;

16. That improvement in the art of forming a printing-surface, whichconsists in disposing in position a plurality of independent andinterchangeable photographable modelfields, each formed free of a stripor bar and each comprising a character and a supporting surface, onehaving a more highly-absorbent character than the other; thenphotographing the same to make a negative having one part thereof ofgreater transparency or clearness than the other; and then utilizingsaid negative as an intermediate instrumentality to form aprinting-surface.

17. That improvement in the art of for :1- ing a printing-surface, whichconsists in dis posing in position for photographing a plurality ofinterchangeable photographable models, each of said models comprising anindependent surface having a part thereof in relief; and thenphotographing such models to produce a negative having a part thereof ofrelatively high efficiency as compared with another part thereof.

18. The method of forming a printing-surface, which consists inassembling a plurality of independent and interchangeable models, eachcomprising a structurally-formed charactor-field, and asupporting-surface; then obtaining a reproduction thereof by the actionof light; and then utilizing such reproduction to make aprinting-sm-faceadapted to impart impressions.

J9. That improvement in the art of forming a p rinting-plate,whichconsists in assembling in position for photographing a plurality ofinterchangeable models, each formed free of a strip or bar and eachcomprising an independent surface bearing a symbol; then photographingsuch models to obtain a negative having a relatively transparentportion, and a relatively non-transparent portion; then placing suchnegative in juxtaposition to a plate having an emulsion or film thereonand subjecting the same to the action of light, thereby to obtain areproduction of such models; and then treating said plate so formed,thereby to produce a printing-surface adapted to impart impressions.

20. The herein described printing-plate having letterpress matterthereon and adapted to impart impressions and produced by assembling inposition a plurality of interchangeable photographable models comprisingindependent surfaces bearing symbols and each formed free of a strip orbar; then obtaining a negative thereof by photography; then utilizingsuch negative by the action of light to reproduce said models on asensitized metal surface; and then treating said surface to form saidprinting-plate.

21. That improvement in the art of forming a printing-surface, whichconsists in assembling in position a plurality of independent andinterchangeable or separable pho tographable models, each formed free ofa strip or bar and comprising a character-field and a supporting-field,one having a different efficiency from the other; then photographingsuch models to obtain a negative having one part thereof relativelytransparent and another part thereof relatively opaque; then placingsuch negative in juxtaposition to a plate orother surface previouslytreated and having a sensitized surface or film thereon and subjectingthe same to light, thereby to obtain a reproduction of such models,having two fields, one relatively hardened and the other relativelynnhardened and then treating the plate to adapt it to impartimpressions.

22. That improvement in the art of forming a printing-surface, whichconsists in assemblin gin position apl uralityofindependent andinterchangeable photographable models, each formed free of a strip orbar and comprising a character-field and a supportingfield, saidcharacter field having a different efiiciency from saidsupporting-field, then photographing such models to obtain a negativehaving a relatively transparent charactenfield and a relatively opaqueouter field; then placing such negative in juxtaposition to a plate orother surface having a sensitized emulsion or film thereon andsubjecting the same to light, thereby to obtain a reproduction of saidmodels having a relatively-hardened inner field and arelatively-nnhardened outer field; then treating the plate so formed topermit the removal of the relatively nnhardened outer field, thereby tobare the plate; and then subjecting the plate to a mordanla to form aprintthe direction of an assembled line, and also ing-surfaoe in relief.adapted for adjustment transversely of the A model eomln'ising asupporting-field line, whereby said model may have a Variand acharacter-field having a raised edge lilo adjustment relatively to itscompanion 5 and having adjacentto said character-field models whenassembled therewith.

an extension for nnderlaning an ad'aeent Y H 1 r model, and also having"a p ortion for l lll(l@1- 1 Jon) lapping an adjaeentline of assembledmodels, Witnesses: whereby said model is adapted for adj ust- FRANCISII. RICHARDS,

IO ment relatively to its companion model in HERBERT M. HANKS.

